Temporal Tide
Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, nor any of its characters or franchises, I am not making money for this, so please don't sue me.
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Chapter 04
Bella
Feeling a little shaky, I tried not to appear too affected by my revelation despite the fact that if I was human I probably would have fainted by now.
If the concerned look on Tanya's face was anything to go by, I was failing miserably.
"Are you alright?" she asked softly, clutching at my shirt.
"I-I'm fine, just a bit farther from home than I originally thought," I replied. Tanya didn't seem to understand, but that was fine with me.
At the moment I was seriously freaked out. In every movie or book I'd ever seen, bad things happened to people who changed the past. Even slight changes in history could have resounding consequences. Who knows what I'd already done even inadvertently.
I really needed to get back.
Like, right now.
Unfortunately, it seemed that fate was unwilling to oblige.
Little Tatyana looked ready to ask another question when the gruff voice of her father broke our staring contest.
"Tanya! Stop messing around and come help your mother with the stew!" Like a child caught doing something she wasn't supposed to, Tanya jumped.
"Yes Papa!" she yelled, before scurrying toward the hut. Stopping abruptly, she turned to face me, her eyes wide and eager. "Are you going to be here tomorrow?" she asked.
"I'll try," I answered, unable to promise that whatever power had whisked me here wouldn't do it again. Nodding happily, Tanya took off, waving a distracted goodbye as I watched with an amused expression.
Settling myself a ways from the hut, I sat down in the grass as I listened to the chatter inside the dwelling. It was interesting to note the differences in cadence and accent of speech compared to the audio tapes I had been learning from, but I found that I enjoyed it more.
Just from listening I learned that Tanya's father was named Yakov and his wife was Elya. They seemed like very Russian names to me, but since I wasn't familiar with Eastern Europe I couldn't say how correct my intuition really was.
This whole situation felt very familiar to me because I spent a lot of time listening to the Greer's talk too. It served the dual purpose of training and relieving the endless monotony.
At one point Elya left the abode and I got my first glimpse of Tatyana's mother. She was dressed very simply, in linen clothes and fur, and she had a hand woven basket filled with laundry tucked under one arm. She looked young, still in her twenties, but lines of a hard life were etched on her face. Elya shared the same red-gold hair as her daughter and I could just see the beginning of a swell indicating pregnancy.
Tanya came out close on her mother's heels and it became clear that they were supposed to wash the clothes while their meal cooked. Tatyana kept glancing around, no doubt looking for me, but I decided to remain covert.
If I really was in the past, then I was resolved to do as little damage as possible. I'd already been revealed to one person, I wasn't about to risk the ripples of what might happen if I interfered too much.
From how Tanya and Elya interacted I could tell that Elya was a stern but loving mother, although the thinness of her arms and face concerned me. You wouldn't guess by looking at her children, but Elya had the pallor of someone undernourished. I wondered how many meals this woman missed a day in order to keep Tanya and her brother as healthy as they both appeared.
For a woman who was supposed to be eating for two, this was especially alarming.
For several minutes I listened to Tanya chatter with her mother, somewhat soothed by the sounds of other people, when one of her questions caused my ears to perk.
"Mama," Tanya asked, dunking one of her furs in the stream. "When will Papa take us to the lake again?" The older woman stopped scrubbing to glance at her youngest child.
"If you're good and patient, he might take you next week. Last time, you fidgeted the whole way and your Papa doesn't have time to deal with misbehaving children. We've been fortunate, since spring started game has been plentiful, so we have a lot of pelts to barter."
"I couldn't help it," she whined. "It takes so long to get there!" Elya snorted, obviously not moved by Tanya's complaints.
"You were told it was a day's ride to the south, but you wanted to go anyway. Hopefully next time you'll think about it more seriously."
"Yes Mama," Tanya muttered, listlessly rubbing sand into the linen.
Despite any dejection Tanya was feeling, I felt like I'd learned a valuable piece of information. I still knew how to tell east from west from Renee's one disastrous attempt to get me to join the girl scouts. So I was fairly confident that I would be able to locate the aforementioned lake. Seeing an actual community would solidify whether I had actually time traveled or if Tanya and her family were just strange isolationists.
No matter how backwater some people might be, it couldn't stop the human drive for progress. If the community near the lake had paved roads and electricity I would write the whole thing off as paranoia. Being isolated in the woods for so long could not be good for my mental health.
Slipping away from the duo, I climbed a tall tree to get my bearings. Once I knew what direction I was going, I set off at a jog. Occasionally I repeated the action to reaffirm my sense of direction. Unless it started to rain I should be able to follow my scent back to the house if I get lost.
Eventually I caught an audible lapping of waves and honed in on the sound. A moment later I broke from tree cover onto a gently sloping hill that dipped into blue-green waters. Yellow sand lined the shore a good ways up the beach, which surprised me, because every lake I've ever seen was rimmed with mud. I'm amazed at how large it is, all things considered.
I trained my eyes down the edge of the lake, I could faintly see light coming from the opposite shore. Chances were good that it was the settlement Tanya and her mother were talking about. It was astonishing that I'd managed to span a distance described as a day's ride in less than half an hour.
Dashing along the lake shore, I made it to the town in record time.
There I found a community straight out of the middle-ages. Every building was small with thatch roofs and fire pits. The streets were muddy, and there wasn't even a hint of power lines or cars.
If that wasn't enough, the rank smell of human excrement pervaded everything, and it was easy to see that people were just throwing their waste out in the road. Clearly sewers and indoor plumbing were not concepts these people were familiar with.
On the bright side, the stench of excrement and body odor was so strong I felt absolutely no compulsion to feed on the people tucked away in their homes or hawking their wares at various stalls outside.
To my knowledge no country in Europe would allow such huge health and sanitation violations. Ironically that, more than anything, convinced me that I was temporally misplaced.
Unwilling to stick around longer than necessary, I followed my trail back to Tatyana's residence. I was almost upon their dwelling when the burn in the back of my throat told me it was time to hunt.
Normally I wouldn't hesitate to slake my thirst, but knowing that I'd somehow traveled back in time made me wary about making any permanent changes to the environment. What if the animal I killed was vital to some future event and by ending its life I manage to screw everything up?
On the other hand, I had no idea how long I was going to be here. If I don't feed, will I lose control? If I lose control will Tanya and her family die as a result? Exterminating an animal was bad, murdering a human would probably be infinitely worse.
Thinking about it that way, I felt that I didn't really have a choice in the matter. I wasn't willing to risk killing someone no matter what era I might be in.
Inhaling deeply, I let my awareness expand. Every sense and smell became sharper and the sound of two heavy heartbeats told me that prey was close by. Breaking into a brisk jog, I quickly converged on the source, my body tense with anticipation.
Two large moose, one a buck the other a doe, were grazing on fresh spring grass. Now that I was in visual range, I could faintly hear another weaker heartbeat from the doe. Being pregnant automatically discounted the female as prey, so that only left the male. He was huge, literally towering over my head by several inches with magnificent antlers that could easily gore a man.
Regrettably, he didn't stand a chance against a vampire.
Swallowing a mouthful of venom, I was just about to pounce when I remembered the knife strapped to my calf. Now was just as good a time as any to resume training; I slipped my knife out of my leg sheath. Finishing my preparations, I surged forward, tackling the buck to the ground and dropping my weight onto his front legs so he couldn't try to stand. The doe screamed and fled as I pinned down the bucks neck with one hand. I used my other arm to swiftly slash its throat with the blade.
Unfortunately, I was too eager in my execution and sliced deeply into the jugular. Fresh ruby blood poured from the wound and I ardently drank. When I had my fill, I wiped my mouth with my hand and licked what remained from my fingers. There wasn't a nearby water source I could use to clean up, so I would have to wait until I returned to the stream near Tanya's house.
I was just about to walk away and leave the corpse to the wolves when I paused.
A moose was a large kill, and this one had a beautiful rack. The meat from this beast could feed a family for a long time.
I recall the gauntness of Elya's cheeks and wonder how long it will take before Tanya and her brother suffer the same fate; not to mention the baby growing in her womb.
Crouching, I brought my face close to the slit in the cadaver's neck and took a cautionary sniff. Blood (thick and coagulated), musk, and dirt were all that greeted my nose. I couldn't detect even a whiff of venom, which was good because I wouldn't risk feeding Tatyana meat tainted with the stuff.
It was impossible to predict what effects it might have on a human.
Using the knife was a good idea if for no other reason than that.
Hefting the buck over my shoulders, I awkwardly carried the creature back the way I came. Its antlers and legs dragged along the ground as I ran.
Eventually I reached the small abode and set the carcass next to the entrance when I was sure no one was watching. Flashing to the small stream near the hut, I washed my face and hands before returning to see the family reaction.
Yakov was the first to come across my 'gift'. As he lifted the cloth in the doorway to come outside, he must have seen the moose from the corner of his eye because he jumped back with a surprised yelp. Suppressing the urge to break into laughter, I covered my mouth with my arm. It was especially hard not to snicker when I watched him examine the body in spooked confusion.
At his exclamation the rest of the family came rushing out of the home and had similar reactions, although Tanya seemed more curious judging by her intense scrutiny.
"Is anyone out there?" Yakov called nervously. When I failed to reply, he looked to the moose and out into the woods several times before coming to a decision. "This is a good pelt. It's a healthy elk, lots of fat and meat, and the rack will sell well. Fortune has smiled upon us, let's get to work."
What followed were several gruesome hours of skinning, gutting, tanning, smoking, and carving of every part of the animal. I couldn't watch most of it.
Charlie used to bring back the fish he caught when he went on trips with Billy, so I was somewhat familiar with the process, but this was on a whole other level.
Still, it was worth it when I saw how heartily everyone ate. Warm affection filled my chest and I found myself wanting to adopt the Korsak's as my own. Unlike the Greers, where I was merely a passive observer, I felt needed. More like I was making a significant impact on their lives.
As the days passed and I failed to return to my own time, my instincts to protect and nurture only grew.
Often I found myself helping Elya with chores that were unsuitable for a pregnant woman, and I did it all when she wasn't looking. It almost became a game to see how much I could accomplish while her back was turned; whether it was moving heavy sacks of grain, stacking wood, or hauling water.
Sometimes I would let Tanya catch me in the act, at which point I'd put my finger to my lips and smile as she giggled.
I guess I was a little too blatant in my actions because soon thereafter Elya and Yakov started to leave offerings of food outside.
When I asked Tatyana about it, she told me that her parents were under the impression that I was a Domovoi, or house spirit, and that they were thanking me for my hard work.
Much to my dismay, it only took four days for me to run out of things to do. Fortunately I only ever had to wait for Tatyana to finish her chores for entertainment. Normally she would spend most of her time with her brother, but since Damek was the only son, he was devoting more and more of his time to learning his father's trade.
As a result Tanya was often left to her own devices, and we regularly spent the day playing games.
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I'd been sitting next to the stream for half an hour when I heard the unmistakable patter of little feet on dry leaves. I had my back to the house, my legs dipped comfortably in the water, as I patiently awaited my companion.
Drawing near, my quarry (though they knew it not) made an attempt to soften their steps. Their breathing became more subdued as they crept up behind me. I closed my eyes with a smile and resisted the urge to shake my head. Even if I hadn't been a vampire, this sneak attack would have failed.
If I had a doubt as to the identity of my would-be attacker, their raspberry almond scent gave it away almost immediately.
Suddenly they pounced, their arms wrapped around my neck as they barreled into me; shouting with triumph.
"Grahhh!" Tanya roared, or tried to, in an attempt to catch me off guard. Her childish voice failed to conjure even the slightest form of terror. "I got you!"
"Ahh, oh no, what ever shall I do?" I said, completely monotone as I struggled to keep my face straight. Unfortunately the faintest of smiles made it past my lips.
Pouting slightly, Tanya's whole body slumped and she ended up sliding down my back despite the fact that I was sitting.
"Mari," Tanya whined. "I'm bored… play with me!" she exclaimed, bounding to her feet with renewed energy.
I smiled indulgently. Despite being stuck somewhere in the eleventh century I was really enjoying myself. Human beings were by nature social creatures, and I wasn't living a solitary existence in the woods because I liked being alone with my thoughts.
I had a greater understanding of why the Cullen's spent so much effort trying to integrate into society. Not that they really took advantage of all their hard work. As far as I could tell they shunned any type of friendships with normal people, so it was a wonder why they bothered at all.
Their interactions with me seemed to be a rare exception; and that probably only happened because Edward couldn't read my thoughts.
Looking into Tanya's sky blue eyes, I couldn't regret getting to know this adorable little girl.
"What would you like to play?" I inquired.
"How about hide and see-," Tatyana paused, mid-sentence, and snatched something tucked into the waistband of my jeans. "What's this?"
Startled, my body moved without thinking and shot to my feet. Turning on my heel, I turned to face my charge and noticed that she was holding a miniature English to Hungarian dictionary in her hand.
My eyes widened in surprise as I gaped at her. I had completely forgotten that I had that on me! I'd made a habit of tucking it into the back of my waistband as I studied, since my pockets were too small.
Plucking the book from Tanya's grasp, I flipped it open and let her study its contents. Her fingers traced over the pages as her eyes drank in the unfamiliar characters.
"Is this… a book?" Tatyana asked, her mouth open in an 'o' of undisguised awe.
Amused and a tad perplexed, I nodded.
"Yes, it helped me learn your language. It shows me all the words you use; and its corresponding word in my language. It's very helpful."
"I've never seen a book before. Papa says only nobles and priests know how to read, and that it's not a skill a regular man needs to learn."
As a freethinking woman of the 21st century, more horrifying words could not be spoken. I loved books. I lived and breathed literature; indeed, it was one of the things that attracted me to Edward. Until that point, I'd never met a guy who had shared my enthusiasm for the written word.
To speak of them as bothersome and unnecessary skills caused my very soul to rebel.
"Would you like to learn how to read and write?" I queried, determined to give Tanya any advantage I could. While men in this era may not believe that education was suitable for the masses, let alone a woman, I wouldn't let Tanya's mind go to waste if I had any say about it.
A large part of me felt responsible for Tatyana. Like she was mine to protect and nurture. I'd never been prone to maternal instincts, but I felt that this was probably as close as I was ever going to get.
"Can I?" Tanya murmured shyly.
"Yes." I smiled widely and Tanya's face flushed. She seemed a little dazed and I thought that I might have dazzled her by accident. The Cullen's used to do the same thing to me on several occasions.
We spent the rest of the day learning the alphabet, both in Magyar and English. It occurred to me that Latin was probably what she should really be learning, but since I didn't have a shred of knowledge regarding the subject, Tanya would have to make do with what I could teach her.
To my delight, Tatyana was a fast learner, and I was astonished by her willingness to dedicate herself. I couldn't remember being anywhere near as happy to study. Perhaps it was the opportunity to gain a skill she might not ever have the chance to otherwise, but I found myself impressed.
Our lessons also gave me a new found appreciation for my own upbringing. I'd taken my ability to read and write for granted. For me it was expected that everyone would have such skills, but here in this time it was a privilege afforded only to the Church and the Nobility.
Several afternoons were spent in this manner when I noticed that Yakov was piling pelts and furs into a wagon he kept away from the dwelling. Elya meanwhile was hooking up one of their old mules to the cart.
Counting up the days in my head, I concluded that Yakov was leaving on the trip Elya had spoken to Tatyana about. My deduction was confirmed by the way Damek and Tanya kept scampering around his legs like overzealous puppies.
"Papa!" they chorused "Can we come?"
Tatyana was especially ardent, because as a member of the fairer sex, she was far more likely to be left behind.
"Pleeeaase," she begged, breaking out the doe eyes. "I promise to be good."
Yakov grunted and looked at his daughter appraisingly.
"Will you stay close and refrain from pestering me?"
"Yes, yes, I promise," she nodded frantically.
"Then you may come. Get in the back, your brother will sit next to me."
Shouting gleefully, both children scrambled into place as their father secured the latch on the back of the cart.
It didn't take me long to come to the conclusion that I didn't want to be left behind, so I kept pace with the carriage from a distance. Tatyana and her brother seemed to enjoy the ride for the first hour or so before the novelty wore off. After which they fell asleep curled up under the pelts in the back.
Part of me wanted to run ahead, I'd become more impatient as a vampire, but the other half kept me anchored to the wagon. Every time I tried to leave I kept imagining something horrible happening.
By the time we arrived in town, a small place called Ruzinov, I was just about ready to find out if a vampire could die of boredom.
Still, the trip was almost worth it just to see little Tanya groggily poke her head out of the furs, her hair a tangled mess.
Swiping a wool cloak from a nearby cottage, I slipped the garment over my head and shoulders just in case the sun decided to come out. It also had the added bonus of obscuring my features. I had the distinct impression that an inhumanly beautiful woman dressed in strange clothes would prove to be far too interesting and memorable for a village where some of the inhabitants literally slept in pens with their pigs.
Trailing the trio as discreetly as possible, I made doubly sure to keep an eye on Tatyana. The girl kept drifting from her father's side, and I could only imagine the trouble she would get in if left to her own devices.
Yakov was haggling with a merchant, arguing back and forth about the value of his pelts when Tanya caught a glimpse of the lake. Almost immediately her face scrunched into this cutely anxious expression as she clearly fought the urge to run to the water.
Chuckling to myself I knew it was only a matter of minutes before she broke, and sure enough shortly after Tatyana was tugging on his coat.
"Papa," she whispered, trying to catch her father's attention as unobtrusively as possible. Yakov glanced at his daughter briefly before continuing to barter. "Papa," Tanya repeated the motion, this time a bit louder.
"What is it Tanya?" he distractedly asked.
"Can I go down to the lake Papa?"
"Fine, go, just stay out of trouble." Yakov impatiently waved her off.
"May I go too Pa?" Damek interjected, just as eager to be away as his sister.
"No, you're nearly a man and this is something you must observe. Your sister is a child and a woman, and therefore does not have the capacity to learn my trade."
Damek pouted, but dutifully stood by his father as Tanya happily ran off.
The longer I stayed the harder it was getting to reign in my disgust with the attitudes of this century. I knew it was just a product of the time, but the blatant disregard for a woman's worth was already starting to wear on me.
Unfortunately there was nothing I could do to change those ingrained prejudices. Indeed, the process would take centuries and even in my day and age hadn't completely disappeared.
Following Tanya to the beach I found her huddled on the shore, hands submerged in the sand.
"You don't want to go in the water?" I inquired, stalking up behind the girl.
Part of me was curious as to why she hadn't immediately jumped in. Tanya jumped, startled by my sudden appearance, before her mouth broke out in a grin.
"Mari!" she shouted my name and ran up to embrace my waist. Her face was buried against my side and my heart melted a little as she nuzzled against me. I'd seen her just a little while ago but she always greeted me like I'd been away for months.
"Hello Tanya," I laughed, ruffling her hair. "Did you enjoy the ride to town?" Shaking her head Tatyana peered at me solemnly.
"It was long."
"Isn't that the truth." I muttered to myself. Ducking down to her level, I looked from her to the lake and back. "Now, why haven't you gone for a swim in the lake? The water looks perfect."
"It's too cold." She mumbled, scuffing her boots in the sand. Dipping my hand in the water, I thought it was pleasantly warm. Then again, temperatures felt different to me now, so my estimation of what was comfortable to swim in was probably off.
"It feels warm to me." I stated. It was spring, and I had the vague feeling the water was probably brisk but good enough to play in. Just as I suspected, a pout crossed her features and she pushed a strand of red-gold hair out of her face.
"I don't know how to swim," Tanya shamefully admitted. I blinked with realization. Of course that was the reason. Living an isolated existence in the middle of the forest, where the closest body of water was a day away, wouldn't give a person much opportunity to learn.
"Do you want me to show you how?" I questioned. Since I was already teaching her to read, what was one more thing to add to the curriculum?
Tanya's gaze tentatively shifted from the ground up to my eyes, like she was trying to determine if I was serious or not. Eventually coming to the conclusion that I was sincere, she hesitantly nodded.
"Alright," I clapped my hands together and examined our proximity to the village. We were far too close for me to risk removing my 'borrowed' cloak, so moving away from prying eyes was a must. "We're a little too close to town so come here and I'll take us further along the shore."
Without hesitation Tanya grabbed my hand and I scooped her into my arms.
In less than a minute we were a mile away from the settlement. It was close enough that I could still hear everyone in the village but far enough that we were unlikely to be intruded upon.
Gently placing my charge on the ground, I watched as she stumbled slightly, her eyes wide with awe.
"You're fast! I had to close my eyes, I was so dizzy." My mouth twitched as I fought not to smile. It seemed like such a simple thing to be impressed with now, but I remembered feeling the exact same way not too long ago.
Discarding my cloak and stripping down to my underwear, I dove fearlessly into the lake, knowing that I couldn't feel the chill.
Tanya shifted nervously and toed the edge as she watched me tread water.
"You can't learn to swim if you don't get in the water. Leave your furs on the beach, you'll be cold when you get out and dry clothes will help." Obediently shedding her outer layers, Tanya was left with a loin wrap and a breast band.
Stepping into the shallow end, Tatyana squealed and jumped back, shaking her head furiously.
"Mari," she whined. "It's coldddd."
Wading into the shallow end, I crouched down and extended my arms, beckoning her forward.
"Come on, I know you can do it. You're the bravest girl I know. You faced down wolves, compared to that a little water won't hurt you. I promise I won't let you drown."
"You promise?" she whispered.
"I promise."
Latching onto my arms, Tanya let me walk her out into the lake. She shivered a little at first, but once her metabolism kicked in she seemed fine. Although she was clinging to my neck fearfully once we got deeper in.
"Mari…" Tatyana whimpered as I soothingly rubbed her back.
"Shhh it's alright, I got you." I let a few minutes go by as I allowed her to get used to the water. "Ok, now I'm going to take your hands and walk backwards. As I do this I want you to kick your legs. Have you ever seen a frog swim?"
Tanya nodded.
"I want you to kick your legs just like a frog does. Do you think you can do that?" she shyly nodded again. "Then let's give it a try shall we?"
Time passed quickly as I built her confidence in the water. Once Tanya got over her initial fear, she was excitedly paddling around. It didn't take very long to wear herself out however, and before I knew it she was back to clasping my neck.
Deciding that she'd probably had enough for the day; I carried her back to the beach and used the cloak I'd procured to dry her off. I made a concentrated effort to dry her hair because I didn't want to risk her catching a cold.
Once all our clothes were in place, I hefted her onto my back and ran back to the village. Despite being gone for a little over an hour, it seemed her father hadn't even noticed her absence. It was an observation that both upset and angered me. How anyone could fail to mark her presence was beyond me.
Regardless, it seemed my timing was perfect because shortly thereafter her father began his walk to the shore to retrieve his daughter. Hiding myself in the foliage near the woods, I waved to Tanya as they disappeared into a nearby inn.
I barely had time to wring the water from my own auburn locks before I faded to white.
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A/N: That's one more chapter down. Hopefully you guys found this one entertaining. I'm really trying to build up Tanya and Bella's relationship before I have them meet in present time, and I'm hoping this is a step in the right direction. I want to set a ground work of mutual like and affection before we even touch romance.
I'll have a few more chaps like this before we get into the real meat of the story. If you guys felt anything was rushed or unrealistic please let me know. Also, if any of Bella and Tanya's interactions felt ridged or forced.
On another note I'm trying to get an account on Archive of Our Own. So if any one of my readers are a member, I would greatly appreciate getting an invite.
As always, point out any inaccuracies if you find em.